Norah Jones - Visions

Norah Jones sounds wide awake and wonderfully loose on Visions, a 2024 record that trades polish for groove and plays like a late-night jam between old friends.

Her ninth studio album, released on Blue Note, was produced and engineered by Leon Michels, who also played drums, bass and saxophone across much of it. With Jones on piano, guitar and organ, the pair built the songs from the ground up, leaving room for rough edges, warm room sound and spontaneous moments. Many of the ideas, she has said, arrived in the middle of the night or in that drifting moment just before sleep.

Running, the lead single, rides a crisp, propulsive beat and a melody that lingers for days. Staring at the Wall leans into a woozy, garage-soul groove, Paradise rolls along with an easy bounce, and the title track keeps things dreamy and brief. Elsewhere, Brian Blade sits in on drums for a few songs, adding his subtle, jazz-schooled touch.

The result is relaxed but never sleepy, soulful but never heavy, and full of small, happy surprises.

For anyone who first fell for Jones through Don't Know Why, Visions shows how far, and how freely, she has travelled since, without ever losing that unmistakable warmth.